Shoe



W. L. MANN- SHOE. APPLICATION FILED AUG-6| I919.

- Patented Jan. 20, 1920. Q

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WILLIAM L. MANN, or enonen'rown', TEXAS.

SHOE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan.2@,1920.

Application filed August 6, 1919. Serial No 315,624.

To all whom. it may concern:

' Be it-known that I, WILLIAM L. MANN, of the United States Navy, a citizen of the United States, residing at Georgetown, in the county of Williamson and State .of Texas have invented new and useful improvements in Shoes, of which the-follow- I in is a specification.

y invention relates to shoes, and is designed-to furnish an improved type of foot covering and aims especially to provide a boot or shoe made of leather, fabric or other suitable material constructed to subserv'e'in a high degree the purposes of comfort, aid in correcting and preventing the minor ailments of the foot, prevent foot injuries during long hikes, m litary-marching and sustained walking, or standing over a lon period of time, and adapted to be easily an readily put on .or taken 011' the foot.

Further and' most important objects of the invention are,

First, to construct a boot or. shoe which,

not only is of simple construction but from.

an esthetic viewpoint has market value enhanced.

Second, to construct a boot or shoe which keeps the rear or static portion of the shoe closely and snugly fitted to the foot thereby permitting the anterior or dynamic portion of the foot to be closely fitted'and heldfrom slipping forward toward the toe part. of the shoe.

Third, to constructa shoe orboot which obviates the use of laces, hooklets or eyelets, and requiresthe adjustment of only one fastener to properly hold the foot within the shoe and greatly simplifies the maintaining of a snug, comfortable and close fit between the foot and shoe.

My invention consists of structural char- I acteristics and relative arrangements of elements which will be hereinaftermore fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the one sheet of drawings inwhich similar reference characters indicate the same parts in the several figures,

Figure 1 is a side elevation ofthe invention as applied to the left foot;

Fig. 2 is aiplan view ofthe'sam'e; and

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line III-J11, indicated on Fi 1.

In the drawmgs, 10 represents the sole having the usual arch or waist section 11 and provided with'the common form of heel 12.

' 18, through which is passed the-continua- Attached to the sole 10 in the usual manner I is an upper 13 which has its forward portion 14 forming the inner side of the instep section of the shoe continued or extended and cutin such a manner as to constitute an inner flap 15, and is designed and formed in such a manner as to lie smoothly and conform to the contour of the instep portion of a foot, and form a close and tight fit at its free edges with the inside of the upperof the Shoe, as shown in Fig. 3. The free end 16 of the innerfia'p 15 is cut in such a manner that it converges preferably to a oint about one-half inch in width to which is secured in any suitable manner one end of a strap 17. The inside of theupper 14 a short distance below the free end 16 of the inner flap .15 isprovided with an opening or slit tion of the strap 17 for purposes to be pres-m ently. described. Said opening or slit18 is 7 covered by 'a small piece of material or. leather 19 extending from just below the slit 18 to a short distance above and sewed at its mittin the strap 17 secured to end 16 of inner ap 15, to pass through the upper 14;,

and thereby not only making a smooth inner surface to the interior of the shoe at this point but at the same time sealing said opening or slit 18 and aiding in. the exclusion of water or mud from the inside of. the shoe when in use;

The other side and forward portion of the and cut as to form an outer flapv 20 adapted to fold over the instep of the shoe and overlap the ,innerfiap 15 and extend over and on the outer side of the upper 13. Said outer flap 20 convergesto a point 21 to which is.

attached or made integral therewith anextension or strap 22, and said outer flap 20 is so designed,-proportioned and arranged as to permit it and its edges. to closely and snugly fit and come in contact with the conbottom and up both sides, the open top per-"- upper 14 is likewise continued and so shaped I waist section 11 of the sole and a short I distance forward of the front line of the heel 12 is anchored or secured a short strap or and have been spread apart and the foot properly inserted and seated in the shoe, the free end of the strap 17 connected with the,

inner flap 15 is pulled taut and passed downwardly and through thering or support 26 and under the roller 27 on the same side of the shoe, and then upwardly and over the outer flap 20 and instep portion of the shoe. The free end of the'other strap 22 is then likewise passed downwardly and through the other ring or support 26 and under its roller 27 and upwardly over the outer flap 20 and instep of the shoe and around the top section of the upper 13, passing the same perferably under a retaining or sustaining piece 28 secured to-the back on the shoe as indicated in Fig. 1. After pushing the foot properly forward into the shoe and folding the inner and outer flaps 15 and 20.

over the instep. of the foot, the straps 17 and 22 are drawn and made comfortably taut over said instep and their free ends secured together by a buckle 29, or any other expedient, I I

From the foregoing disclosure of the construction and arrangement of the partsof' the shoe and their cooperation, it will be seen that the foot 'is not only snugly, firmly and uniformly held place in the shoe and prevented from sliding forward toward the toe part of the shoe but at the sametime the arch of the foot is properly sustained and supported by a pressurereacting against and uniformly distributed over the entire "surface of the instep, due to the described arrangement of the cooperating inner and outer flaps 15 and 20 and their coactingstraps 17 and 22, and hence all the functions, objects and advantages recited in the statement of the invention have been fully,

cheaply and eficiently carried out and ac-.

' complished with the simplest possible constructiomfor the reason said straps 17 or 22 not only perform the function of securely holding .the foot within "the shoe and from'slip' ing forward in the same but most effective y support the arch of the foot.

' What I claim'is: K I 1.v A shoe comprising a sole,. an upper attached to'said sole, means for adjustably engaging a strap attached to the/shoe on each side of the upper, an inner flap extending from one side of the forward portion of the upper and so constructed and arranged as to be adapted 'to form the inner section of the instep portion of the shoe, an

outer flap extending forwardly from the opposite side of the upper from that of the inner flap and constructed and arranged to be superimposed over the inner flap and form the outer portion of the shoe instep, a-straphaving one of its ends connected to the free end of the inner flap and adapted" to adjustably en age the means on the shoe nearest to the. inner flap and extend upwardly over the instep of the shoe, and a second strap having one of its ends connected to the free end of the outer flap and adapted to pass downwardly and adjustably engage the other means on the opposite side .of the shoe and upwardly over the instep and around the back of the shoeto be engaged by the free end of the strap connected with the inner flap.

2. A shoe comprising a sole, an upper attached to said sole, a ring attached to the arch section of the sole on each side of the upper, an inner flap extending from one side of the forward portion of the upper and so. constructed and arranged as to be adapted to form the inner section of the instep portion of the shoe, an outer flap extending forwardly from the opposite side of the upper from that of the inner flap, and constructed and arranged to be superimposed over the inner flap and form the outer portion of the shoe instep, a strap having one of its ends connected to the free end of the inner flap and adapted topass downwardly and loosely through the ring on the sole nearest to the inner flap and upwardly over the instep of the shoe, and

a second strap having one of its ends connected to the free end of the outer flap and adapted to pass downwardly and loosely through the'other ring on the opposite side of the shoe and upwardly over the instep 'andaround the back of the shoe to be engaged y the free end of the strap connected with the inner flap. I l

shoe comprising a sole, an upper at tached to said sole and having aside opens ,mg, a mug attached to the arch section of thesole on each sideof the upper, an inner flap" extending from one side of the forwardport1o n of the upper and so constructed and arranged as to be adapted to form the inner -section of the'instep portion of the shoe, an

outer flap extending forwardly from the opposite side of the upper from that of the inner flap and constructed and arranged to be superimposed over the inner flap and a strap having one of its ends connected form the outer portion of the shoe instep,

to the free end of the inner flap and adapted to pass 'through said opening in theup'per loosely through the otherring on the-oppoand downwardly and loosely through the site side of the shoe and upwardly over the ring on the sole nearest to the inner flap instep and around the back of the shoe to 10 and upwardly over the instep of the shoe, be engaged by the free end of the strap conand a second strap having one of its ends nected with the inner flap.

connected to the free end of the outer flap In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. and adapted -'to pass downwardly and a WILLIAM L. MANN, 

